From: Elina Karakulova (ekarakulova@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Jul 02 2003 - 14:15:23 EDT
UZBEK DIASPORA IN KAZAKHSTAN ELECTS NEW HEAD
Dustlik, an association of ethnic Uzbeks living in Kazakhstan, held a congress over the weekend in South Kazakhstan Oblast, electing a new president and voting to move the association's headquarters from Almaty to Shymkent, the administrative center of South Kazakhstan Oblast and the largest Kazakh city near the border of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan Today reported on 30 June. Rozakul Khalmuradov, head of the South Kazakhstan Oblast Disciplinary Council, was elected to head Dustlik and to act as spokesman for the 400,000 ethnic Uzbeks living in Kazakhstan, most of them in South Kazakhstan Oblast. The greatest problem Kazakhstan's ethnic Uzbeks face, according to the report, is obtaining quality education in their native language. Dustlik is calling for the Kazakh Education Ministry to conduct examinations in Uzbek and to provide grants for the study of Uzbek language and literature. The association is also trying to restart the rebroadcasting of television programs from Uzbekistan. BB
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